


This Isn't Goodbye

by peacenik_jesus



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 17:33:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16978911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peacenik_jesus/pseuds/peacenik_jesus
Summary: After a rift divides the communities, Aaron and Jesus have to figure out a way to continue seeing one another.





	This Isn't Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Short "drabble" based on an angst prompt received on Tumblr.

Jesus stared into the light of the fire, his head pillowed against Aaron’s shoulder as they nestled together on the couch. With Gracie asleep upstairs, the house was quiet other than the occasional crackle or pop of the fire. Aaron nuzzled the top of Paul’s head with his nose. “Why do I smell smoke?”

Confused, Jesus lifted his head and looked at the other man. Aaron’s eyes were soft, but his expression suggested he knew Jesus had been deep in thought. “Stop reading my mind,” Jesus teased, leaning up to capture his lips.

“Can’t,” Aaron smirked, his hand moving to the back of Jesus’ neck to hold him in the kiss a while longer. “I just can’t put it down. It’s a page turner.”

The smaller man laughed, appreciating the humor, and rested his head back on Aaron’s shoulder in an attempt to avoid his gaze as he spoke. “I’m just thinking about how different everything will be now that the boundaries have been drawn up. Your people can’t cross into Hilltop territory, and Hilltop can’t cross into your territory without it seeming like an act of war to Maggie and Michonne.” He sighed softly. “I can’t help but think this is the last time I’ll be able to sit here like this with you.”

“Hey…” Aaron pressed his lips to the top of his head. “This feud between Maggie and Michonne will end. It’s just going to take them a while to cool down. You and I will still find a way to see each other, even if we have to sneak around.” He lifted the man’s chin so he could look into his eyes, trying to smile and make light of the mood with a playful quip. “This isn’t goodbye.”

“Why don’t you and Gracie come to Hilltop?” Paul asked with a hopeful expression, ignoring the joking tone. “If we’re in the same place, then we won’t have to sneak around.”

“They need me here more than you need me there,” Aaron caressed his cheek gently, seeing the disappointment set in before Jesus sat up, resting his elbows on his knees.

Even though he knew he sounded like a petulant child, Jesus couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

Aaron sat forward, resting his stumped arm against Paul’s back. “The same reason that you need to stay at Hilltop. Maggie can’t run Hilltop alone, and Michonne…as much as I love her…will run Alexandria into the ground without the council.” 

“It’s hard enough to spend time together as it is,” Jesus stood and moved towards the fireplace, tinkering with one of the trinkets on the mantle. “How are we going to make this work?”

The defeat in Jesus’ voice was something Aaron had started to hear more and more of since Maggie had made him her second-in-command at Hilltop. He got to his feet and moved to stand behind Paul, turning the other man to face him and drawing him into a languid kiss. When he slowly pulled back, Paul’s eyes were still closed. He slowly opened them to look into Aaron eyes. Aaron brushed the long, soft locks behind the other man’s ear, caressing his cheek with his thumb.

“It’s going to work because we’re both going to make sure it does. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but it will be worth it. You make every day worth living.” Paul opened his mouth to protest, but Aaron put a finger to his lips to silence him. “But this is about more than just us. We have to find a way to bring the communities back together. Maggie will listen to you; you need to be at Hilltop. Michonne...is going to be harder to bring around, and that’s why I need to be here.”

Paul reached up and lightly gripped Aaron’s wrist, kissing the finger still against his lips, then pulled the hand away. “I know this is bigger than us, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re going to see a lot less of each other.”

“Hm,” Aaron threaded his arm around Paul’s waist and pulled him close. “I think that means that it’s going to give us something to look forward to.” He kissed from Paul’s lips up to his ear, murmuring in a seductive voice, “And I, for one, will really look forward to it.”

“You know that’s not fair,” Paul breathed, his eyes fluttering as Aaron’s teeth grazed his earlobe.

Aaron’s tongue traced the shell of his ear, he could feel the man practically melting like butter against him. “What’s not fair?”

“You can’t win every argument by exploiting my erogenous zones.”

“I think I can,” Aaron purred, hand moving to the small of Jesus’ back and caressing the soft, warm skin. “I think I am.”

Jesus’ hands were working Aaron’s belt and the fastenings of his trousers. He used his core strength to maneuver Aaron back towards the couch. 

“Gracie--” Aaron started to protest as his pants were pushed down.

“Is upstairs, asleep.” He leaned up and tugged Aaron’s lower lip with his teeth as a hand snaked down beneath the waistband of his jockeys, slowly stroking the budding erection. “So you should probably be quiet.”

“Now who’s exploiting who?” Aaron panted as his jockeys were pulled down and he was pushed down onto the couch. He drank in the sight of the other man as Jesus stripped from the waist, down. His arousal was more than evident, which only made Aaron’s fire burn hotter.

Paul moved to straddle Aaron’s lap, a knee on either side and his hands on the back of the couch as he teased Aaron with his body. “Just giving you something to look forward to,” he smirked, hair spilling into his face as he looked down as his lover. 

Aaron reached up, threading his fingers through the strands and drawing Paul into a heated kiss. “I love you.”

“Enough to move to Hilltop?”

“Don’t push your luck,” Aaron pulled him back down, claiming his lips as Paul’s body claimed him.

FIN


End file.
